comparing our coaches - read only if you are bored

[oldmattb]

While driving back from New Mexico a few days ago, I was thinking about the good and bad of the three motor homes I have owned. This is just a bunch of random thoughts, so don’t take it all too seriously.

Safari Trek 2600 Isuzu

Good:
This thing would go anywhere and get you back. Relatively short wheelbase and high ground clearance. We took it on the full length of the Apache Trail, and down a lot of rough dirt roads. The Isuzu engine and Jatco transmission were bullet-proof.
Honest 12MPG towing a small car
Low-maintenance Filon roof – a coat of marine enamel after a decade
Aluminum body – very durable
The exhaust brake was amazing – it would slow the coach to walking speed on a 12 percent grade
Good cabinets, good storage for a little coach
Could park it nearly anywhere
Nothing ever broke.
Very car-like in maintenance requirements
Tires that one could actually move around, if you could loosen the 2 zillion lb/ft lugs
Long-gone dead cruise control

Bad:
15 MPH up steep hills
My 6-foot body in a 6-foot bed
One had to really “operate” it on hills – downshift, downshift again when the pyrometer rises, watch the trans temperature, get a running start on hills, look for passing lanes in heavy traffic, etc.
Brutal ride, even with suspension modifications
Small towd car really means small – 2000 pound towing capacity. Auxiliary braking was required!
Original issue sofa and dinette were apparently made for children.
Fuel gauge sender was a square tank type in a cylinder tank. The last quarter tank went by in about ½ hour.

Foretravel Grand Villa 1994

Good:
Honest 10 MPG towing small car
Amazing quality of cabinetry and general build quality
Lots of storage for a non-basement coach.
Fiberglass roof needed a coat of paint and then good for another decade.
A rocking-good dash air
Big, fat, thick steel bumpers – actual bolted on functional bumpers
Automatic lights in cabinets and closets.
I really liked the central vac, especially after I replaced the unit with a concealed shop vac.
A doorbell!
Lighted entry handle was just so cool!

Bad:
Ours had a suspension clunk I could never remedy
When the suspension begins to sag, the Torsilastic suspension re-do gets expensive if the shims have been used up.
Small shower for a big coach. The door is always cold when it hits your butt!
Our exhaust brake was not integrated into the transmission – manual downshifting on hills.
We loathed the original-issue pink, magenta and brothel décor.
Tiny starting battery holder required two side-mounted gel batteries to start the engine properly
Propane generator – parts obsolete
Gelcoat outside looked shabby pretty quickly without care.
Low to the ground – had an aftermarket cage to protect transmission, which hit bottom several times
Air governor was very hard to replace.
Outside storage bins opened to about 90 degrees.
Water pump seized, hydraulic pump failed grandly, Allison computer failed suddenly.
Intermittent cruise control.
Despite size, layout in front seemed cramped.

Monaco Windsor 1998

Good:
33-foot is a good length and has a smart layout for no slides.
Full body paint still looks great
Good storage
Outside bins open to almost 180 degrees
Good cabinetry – slide-out pantry is nice.
Nice and big shower!
Ducted AC
Storage under the bed! Good use of space.
Thermo windows
Sofa is actually decent fort sleeping.
Best front curtain system – easy to use.
Good design for doors to separate bath and bedroom from front of coach.
So many interior lights!
Solid surface counters and good fixtures
Big water and waste tanks – we have yet to run out after 3-4 days of dry camping
Will tow just about anything. Same little car is not noticed!
Big, quiet diesel generator
I like the front-entry – I think it reminds me of the school bus from when I was a kid.
Air bag suspension – I don’t understand it yet, but I like it.
Ice maker in fridge is nice, but we never seem to take advantage of the ice.
Fully-functional cruise control!

Bad:
EPDM roof requires maintenance and inspection
I worry about that complex thermostat system for AC and heat failing
Water line to ice maker failed, flooding coach. Should have been copper! (was a good time to install hardwood!)
That front TV is a target for hitting head
Huge windshield is like a terrarium.
Less sitting space than previous coach.
Don’t know MPG, don’t want to know.
Inverter sucks the batteries dead in a few hours.
Dash air and heat seems anemic

Matt B

[oldmattb]

It is not a daily headache, for sure. If it has not been touched for over a decade, it will likely need "paint: and maybe caulking and patching.

I would prefer the fiberglass or filon, but I am OK with what I have.

Matt B

[timmac]

Bad:
EPDM roof requires maintenance and inspection

I have heard this from other posters but I have found the EPDM roof is fairly easy to maintain, but I guess that's me because I like doing little projects, keeps me moving, but anyways this is my 3rd rv with that roof and never a issue other than new caulking every 5 years.

Now that I think about my current motorhome is 5 years old, thanks now I got another project come spring, dang is the work ever going to stop..

[Ductape]

A good read, thanks for posting.

[oldmattb]

Of course when you get into the $400K range, they are pretty nice...

Matt B

[oldmattb]

We did enjoy the FT a lot. It was used when we got it, so most issues were not a big surprise. Exhaust brake was an add-on, and was not done properly. The tiny starting battery issue was weird, maybe the holder was originally meant for trailer brakes or something else, and the starting and house batteries had been rewired.

Water pump seized literally in the storage stall. Not a quick fix, but I handled it myself. The hydraulic pump was a poor item from the start - FT had a new style with an install kit. That repair kept us in Palm Springs for almost two weeks. The Allison computer literally had a hole burned through one of the boards - the tech said it was a random event without an external cause. We bought a rebuilt and I installed it in the emergency lane north of Minneapolis.

The generator had a bad propane regulator. The Onan part was discontinued, and over $250 if you could find one. I researched and found it to be the same as a $20 forklift part!

I would own a FT again, but it would have the air suspension. It would NOT have maroon curtains and pink carpet, for sure. Our suspension was at the edge of needing reconditioning, with one shim in one location. (Removing shims raises the coach.) If I remember right, the re-do was around $8K, the springs were in short supply, and was far from a DIY job.

I do like our Monaco. We bought it about 1.5 years ago. Just under 90K miles, well cared for, body paint, diesel generator, air suspension, etc for under $20K. No slides, but a great layout. No plans to trade any time soon. Had our budget been $40K, it would likely have been a flat-snoot Foretravel.

Matt B

[bob_b1]

oldmattb wrote:


Foretravel Grand Villa 1994
Bad:
Ours had a suspension clunk I could never remedy
When the suspension begins to sag, the Torsilastic suspension re-do gets expensive if the shims have been used up.
Small shower for a big coach. The door is always cold when it hits your butt!
Our exhaust brake was not integrated into the transmission – manual downshifting on hills.
We loathed the original-issue pink, magenta and brothel décor.
Tiny starting battery holder required two side-mounted gel batteries to start the engine properly
Propane generator – parts obsolete
Gelcoat outside looked shabby pretty quickly without care.
Low to the ground – had an aftermarket cage to protect transmission, which hit bottom several times
Air governor was very hard to replace.
Outside storage bins opened to about 90 degrees.
Water pump seized, hydraulic pump failed grandly, Allison computer failed suddenly.
Intermittent cruise control.
Despite size, layout in front seemed cramped.

Matt B

This is a rare review from a Foretravel owner. Most Foretravel owners seem to gush about their units. A Foretravel will be my next RV some day.

[oldmattb]

The doorbell was cool, just in its being there. It glowed at night. I think the only time it was used was when we pushed it to see if it really worked.

The inverter is powered by two 4d batteries. Subsequent control panels had the capability to adjust the minimum current level, which would dramatically extend battery life. We solved the problem by taking a couple of 12-volt cell phone chargers, and only turning the inverter on when we need it. Since the microwave and the coffee maker need more current and require the generator, we basically don't need the inverter much.

Matt B

[time2roll]

Doorbell sounds cool.

Maybe the inverter is running something it should not....
Or need more battery.

Good read, Thanks for the journey

[oldmattb]

In nearly 10 months of RV travel, we have watched TV a total of probably 4 hours. If it would look nice, I would probably remove it. Previous owner installed a pad over the corner. I Installed a 10-inch by 36-inch visor, which seems eye-catching enough to reduce the threat.

I would go for a second layer of cabinets in the front to cover up some of that huge windshield - I watch the road, I am not scanning the sky for UFOs.

Matt B

[doxiemom11]

I guess I'm bored. We have a Monaco gasser and like many of the same things that you liked with your diesel. You are right about that dang TV. Hit my head on it every time I clean the dash. (Dog likes to sit up there - hence needed cleaning often)

[polly_sue]

I always think there should be a *like* button on the forum.